On politics in the Golden State

Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday declared
special elections to fill the state Senate seats vacated last week when Democratic
Sens. Juan Vargas of San Diego and Gloria Negrete-McLeod of Chino resigned to
join Congress.

The primary election for both seats
will be held March 12 and, if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the runoff election will be held May 14.

That allows those elected to be
seated in time for the state Senate vote on the state budget.

Vargas and Negrete-McLeod won seats
in Congress in the Nov. 6 election and last week they resigned in the midst of
their state Senate terms to go to Washington, D.C.

Assemblyman
Ben Hueso (D-Logan Heights) has launched a campaign for the 40th Senate
District seat held by Vargas; Assemblywoman
Norma Torres (D-Pomona) and San Bernardino County
Auditor/Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector Larry Walker have begun campaigns
for the 32nd Senate District previously represented by Negrete-McLeod.